In Canada’s Brampton, the breeding ground for anti-Indian activities by separatists, vigilance has been heightened amid complaints of Hindu phobic comments on social media surrounding the tallest statue of Lord Hanuman.
Rajasthan sculptor Naresh Kumawat, who is known for his expertise in sculpting Hindu deities, created the statue and has erected over 200 statues across 80 countries.
The 55-foot-tall statue, being constructed with the help of donation money at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, is 95 per cent complete with some work on the pedestal remaining. It is set to be unveiled to mark Hanuman Jayanti on April 23 next year, informed a temple priest.
“There is security at our temple, and we will be keeping watch at night as well,” said temple priest Phool Kumar Sharma adding that the construction did not flout any municipal norms.
Reacting to social media posts, Phool Sharma said, “What they are saying is an attack on our religion and that is wrong.”
Few netizens began unleashing hate remarks earlier this week, with a handle posting “another reminder that we need an immediate halt on all immigration into Canada.”
“That’s quite excessive and will undoubtedly be an eye-sore that people who have nothing to do with this temple or Hindu culture will have to see every day. They could have been a little more respectful about the size,” read another post.
“Canada is a white Christian country. You can leave. Zero immigration and repatriation ASAP,” was yet another reaction. Another hatemonger wrote, “It’s time for dynamite.”
Some questioned the need for it, while others alleged the statue of Sir John A Macdonald is still boarded up in a box at Queen’s Park.
Reacting to these remarks, Ottawa-based journalist Rupa Subramanya pointed out that the Hanuman statue is on a private property, paid for by donations and other private funds, and violates no city zoning regulations or bylaws.
“The Hindu demigod Hanuman has nothing to do with the cancellation of Sir John A by the progressive left,” she wrote on X in response to a post questioning the statue’s erection.
“The barrage of dehumanizing, bigoted and racist hate messages I am receiving from so-called freedom-loving Canadians merely for standing up for the rule of law is quite extraordinary.
Imagine a statue can trigger this kind of reaction, that too from a religion that is non-threatening and non-proselytizing,” her post on X read.
Backing the right of the temple, Montreal-based political analyst Anthony Koch posted, “Privately funded and situated on private property. Nothing wrong with this. Hindus are allowed to build religious monuments on land that they own, same as anyone else.”
Notably, Brampton has witnessed many separatist activities recently, like targeting Indian diplomats in Canada outside the Bharat Mata Mandir, protesting at a consular camp for issuing life certificates to the Indian Government pensioners, and vandalising the Ram Mandir in Mississauga city with anti-India slogans.
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